March 27, 2010

I have to confess, I was embarrassed today by something I said earlier this week.

My husband and I are in the process of buying our first home. Everything involving this process has fallen into place so smoothly and all of our finances have been met while buying this house - so much so that we know that God wants us to have this place. He is blessing us tremendously.

I am also direction the annual Easter play for my church and incorporating a dinner into it to support youth missions: my husband is working full-time, going to graduate school full-time, and participating in the play, so our schedule is extremely busy for this week leading up to Easter.

We were told three weeks ago that we could expect to close on our house this week. Some issues came up, so we were told that we could close this coming Monday. I was excited - Monday would allow some cushion to move in and get things ready for the play and for my in-laws to visit for the holiday. There was one financial issue that concerned me, though.

Because we had an issue surface, the closing was going to cost a little more than expected, leaving us enough, but less money for other things I had planned to purchase while moving in.

We received a call this week telling us that we would be closing on Wednesday of this coming week - 3 days before the Easter play! I panicked and could not understand why God was pushing this back. I asked Him why because it didn't fit in "my schedule."

(You think I would know how well my schedule and God's schedule works by now. haha. They are always vastly different and His is always better!) So last night I received my answer.

I was painting alone in the house when God revealed to me that because we are closing on Wednesday, we are closing on Josh's payday. So we have more than enough money to cover the issue and buy the other things.

:)

I apologized and was embarrassed that I had questioned Him about such a small thing. After all He's done. I guess I can't judge the children of Israel too much for complaining, it seems I was doing the same thing.

March 28, 2010

Our topic of discussion in Sunday School this morning was: "Why Do We Think We Are Better Than Other People?".

I sat and listened to the answers: "Sometimes I think.....", "Because I look at people as if....", "I used to think....", "It's hard for me to think of a criminal as....."

While agreeing with them all, I noticed a recurring theme in all of these answers and could not help but think that it is the root of majority of our problems with other people: We look at others through our own eyes. "I think", "I look", "I used to", "It's hard for me." See the pattern?

Paul instructed the Corinthian church not to compare themselves to those around them, but to God. Wouldn't that solve most of our relationship issues? Even our pride?

When someone has hurt our feelings, or done wrong to us or someone we love, what is our natural reaction? Mine is to harbor hurt feelings and then judge that person when they do not react in the way I feel they should react. This, in turn, causes dissension with that person and can affect our relationship as well as those close to us. This problem becomes our focus when we interact with this person.

How much different would the situation be if we looked at the person and situation through God's eyes? What if we saw that person how God sees that person? I have done things unintentionally and, as hard as it is to admit, sometimes intentionally that hurt God. What is His reaction? While it hurts Him, He still loves us, He still wants a relationship with us.

The book of James tells us "As much as is in you, live peaceably with all men."

Are we to ignore our hurt and continue to be walked over by that person? No. God gives us guidelines for confronting a problem with someone.

I learned today that I need to look at others the way God sees them - as how/who they can be, not by what they do. I mess up daily, but God shows me how I've messed up and He lets me try again. He knows I'll mess up more and hurt Him in the future with my sin, but He still has a relationship with me.

Jesus knew that Peter would deny Him, yet, He cultivated a relationship with him for 3 years. Jesus knew Judas would betray Him, yet He brought him into His inner circle of disciples and taught him for 3 years.

How different could our relationships be with those close to us and those we come in short contact with throughout the day if we looked at others through God's eyes rather than our own?

Blackberries & Jesus

Strange name? Not really. :) It's been a dream of mine for some time to write a devotional. My husband has been super encouraging about pursuing my dreams - I'm working on the "becoming a professional photographer" part of my dream, starting to learn piano, and thought I needed to begin the "becoming an author" part as well. So, here it is: "Blackberries & Jesus."

The title for this has been in my head about as long as the dream - two of my favorite things that I never get tired of. Granted, Jesus is more important than any fruit, and by no means do I mean He's second place to anything - it's just when you fill a day with all of your favorite things and you lie down that night replaying the day in your head, it all rushes together, but there is one favorite that tops all favorites...that's Jesus. Lots of other things fill my mind as my favorites: cupcakes, my husband, 4 year olds' silliness, napping on a rainy day, the smell of sunscreen, a great bargain, amaryllises, cooking a good meal.... but to list all of those would make the title of my blog much too long. :) So, it's simply "Blackberries & Jesus. A menagerie of my favorite things."